Birding and other distractions

There were good numbers of waders at the tip at 6:30, especially Turnstones, plus a feeding flock of gulls and terns just offshore. An adult Bald Eagle sat on the beach at the far end. Migrant passerines were generally low in numbers in the adjacent woodland. However, one of the birds that I watched caught my attention as it sported an obvious white eyering and a bluish-grey head. Add to that two white wing-bars, yellowish flanks, and a white belly, all the id features for Blue-headed Vireo. Unfortunately the bird mainly stayed high up in trees, unlike a nearby Black-throated Blue Warbler which was seen at ground level. Later I made another visit to Delaurier Homestead where the Green Heron was seen at close range, and Common Yellowthroat were more obliging than they usually are. Whilst there I learnt that an Ash-throated Flycatcher was still present near Dunes, so I left the homestead sooner than planned. The area for the flycatcher was a 15 minute walk along a permissive path north o...

I left early this morning to get to the tip by 6.30. Weather conditions weren't exactly conducive to a significant fall, with clear skies and a northerly wind, and it was no surprise to find fewer birders there today. Nevertheless, there was a sprinkling of warblers, including Blackburnian, Black and White, and Blue-winged, though sadly I didn't get on to the latter in time. Several Eastern Kingbirds were present, though best of all was a female Scarlet Tanager, which had me scratching my head for a while as to it's id. Later in the morning I walked the Woodland Trail which leads back to the visitor centre. Part of this trail is a wetter, more open area with some dead trees, and this was the most productive area today. The birds there included a couple of very obliging Prothonotary Warblers, one of which flew onto the path almost by my feet. There was a Great-horned Owl, though I would never have noticed it had not a fellow birder let me look through his 'scope. A coupl...